Windows 10: Hibernation being disabled (perhaps by Windows Update)

I've not been on here much lately, but I've noticed the same thing on 2 laptops in the last 24 hours.

The Hibernation function (which I know was definitely there) is being disabled and the hiberfil.sys is being deleted.

Both machines are running 1703 and the machine is trying to update to 1709 - I keep hitting Remind me Later because I intend to go straight to 1803 which I gather isn't far away.

I'm wondering if the 1709 update is deleting the Hibernation file in an attempt to free up space, but forgetting to put it back again when I exit the Windows Update screen.

Has anyone else seen this?

:)

 

My Laptop goes to Sleep Mode but NEVER wakes up except by FORCE shutdown and Start-Up again

Have you tried to disable Fast startup and disable the hibernate?

There have been some buggy updates in Windows 10 and buggy Bios updates that are being pulled.



Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 10



Enable or Disable Hibernate in Windows 10

Let the BIOS/UEFI firmware recall begin!

 

Hibernation in Windows 10

See first:

How to Hibernate the Computer in Windows 10

[
https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/hibernate-computer-in-windows-10.8389/ ]



. . . then if you need to troubleshoot a bit:

How to Enable or Disable Hibernate in Windows 10

[
https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/enable-or-disable-hibernate-in-windows-10.8882/ ]

 

I've seen the exact opposite recently - each insider build re-enabling hibernation when I explicitly turn it off.

This would fit with your assumption (saving space). They turn it off prior to upgrade and turn it on again irrespective of your previous setting. Assuming 17133.1 is the released spring update (perhaps, perhaps not) you'll find when you upgrade it is turned on again.

Some bug (or resetting of options to default) is going on here anyway.

 

Thanks for that.

It seems to have disappeared again on one of my machines (where I switched it on last night), so it does seem to be quite persistent!

 

Checked all of my Insider Preview machines (3 on Fast Ring, 2 on Slow Ring, one Skippy) and NONE of them has had the hibernation turned back on. Very interesting!
--Ed--

 

I don't have too much problem if the default for a new installation is to have hibernation switched one way or the other on a fresh install.

However for me to explicitly turn hibernation on (and use it in that mode for several months), and then have Windows itself later turn hibernation off when I'm not looking, I'm less happy about.

 

There's a few third party softwares that might turn hibernation on if set in the configuration file for the program. It can be easy to forget about when launching such softwares.

 

1803 is expected mid-April.

Your 'Remind me later' sounds like you have the Update Assistant installed and, as you surmise, it's probably trying to free up space. This would most likely have been installed by the windows update KB4023814.

KB4023814 Windows 10 display notification to install latest version

This update cannot be uninstalled, but its effects can be undone. See this post...
Block Windows 10 update assistant/all updates

...then you should be able to wait for 1803 without hiberfil.sys going AWOL.

I never let windows update or the update assistant do my upgrades for me, I always upgrade manually using the install media made by the MCT. I've never lost hibernation that way. In fact, the upgrade always turns Fast Start-up back on (I like it turned off) and hiberfil.sys is essential for Fast Start-up to work,

 

Thanks for that - I'll check it out later.

Yes I tend to do that too, although sometimes I let it upgrade itself.

In this case I want to use 1803 install media (when available) for one of these computers, which could do with a clean install to tidy up/ get rid of the various accumulated bits of software on there.

 

I don't think I've any software like that installed. Plus I've not installed anything recently and Hibernation (which I use quite often) has worked fine for a long time before suddenly failing at the same time on two different machines with quite different software applications installed.
So I do think it's a Microsoft update which has done it.

 

Maybe the hiberfil.sys was corrupted by an update? Try removing then recreating it.
In a Command prompt (Admin)...

POWERCFG /HIBERNATE OFF
POWERCFG /HIBERNATE ON

 

Thanks - yes I went through that cycle when I first found it, as I was trying to figure out how to increase the size - which I found - it's another powercfg /h parameter.
But, having created a hiberfil.sys that way, it then deleted it the next day.
Plus I'd have to be unlucky for hiberfil.sys on 2 separate machines to be corrupted within the same day or two.

I expect it will go away when I upgrade in any case.

 

The hibefil.sys doesn't delete itself, nor does Windows delete it normally. I suspect it's down to the Update Assistant, did you look at removing it using the steps in this post as I suggested earlier?

Block Windows 10 update assistant/all updates

 

Yes it's been a busy day so I'll look into that in the morning.

The alternative on one of the machines (and it's a while since I've done this so haven't checked this will still work?) is to use UUP to ISO in a VM to make an ISO and clean-install the latest Insider build of 1803, which I believe is in the narrow window where I can exit Insider Builds. Although I know it's not quite the same as an official MCT ISO, I'm tempted to risk it, as with the extra 2 days holiday this weekend I've more time to re-install the software and sort out any issues.

Either way, my first step is that I'm doing a full Macrium image of that machine which should serve me well whatever else I do next- so that's running now.

But I'm also wondering how widespread this is, which is partly why I started the thread. If it affected 2 machines I use in close succession, I'll bet I'm not the only one seeing this.